Front of the Class
The Front of the Class podcast brings you real stories from real educators — insightful, inspiring, and sometimes unexpected! Hear from passionate teachers, school leaders, and education experts as they share career journeys, challenges, and game-changing strategies. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro, this podcast is your go-to for fresh ideas, motivation, and a community that gets it.
Episodes
As the 2026 New Hampshire Teacher of the Year, Megan Philbrook focuses on filling her classroom with curiosity and creativity for the fifth through eighth grade social studies students in her rural community.
In this episode, Philbrook shares how she brings history to life through immersive lessons, why students love her simulations, and the importance of listening and emotional engagement. From reenacting the stock m...
Dr. Jenna DiEleuterio is the 2026 Delaware State Teacher of the Year and a middle school reading specialist in the Brandywine School District. She channels her passion for creating meaningful relationships and stronger school–community connections into helping students build confidence in their reading skills.
In this episode, Dr. DiEleuterio shares her insights on approaching reading intervention with empathy and dat...
Tammy Irminger has spent 20 years in education, from teaching third, fourth, and sixth grade to serving as a librarian at MacArthur Elementary School on the Fort Leavenworth military base. With a passion for literacy and creating meaningful connections with students, she’s built a career centered on helping every child feel seen, supported, and inspired to learn.
In this episode, Tammy shares how she builds strong rel...
After 25 years in education, Kimberly Henderson knows that where you teach and who you teach alongside can shape every part of your career. Now based in Egypt, Henderson reflects on her journey through U.S. and international classrooms, and what it really means to find your people, your purpose, and the right school for you.
In this special topical episode, Henderson shares how she found a school community that feels ...
Rachel J. is a first-grade teacher in an urban Iowa district, where more than half of her students are learning English as a second language. She has established a classroom environment grounded in warmth, teamwork, and high expectations — and achieved remarkable results. In just one year, her students’ reading proficiency rose from about 50% in the fall to nearly 90% by the end of the spring semester.
In this episode...
Orlando Rodriquez’s journey from college baseball player to special education teacher in Surprise, Arizona, is one of perseverance and purpose. Now in his 13th year as an educator, Rodriquez recently earned his master’s degree while balancing studying with leading his own classroom and keeping his passion for sports alive by coaching collegiate baseball.
In this episode, Rodriquez shares how he brings lessons from the...
From growing up dreaming of space exploration to building a 10-year teaching career across two continents, Kyle Letot’s journey is one of resilience, discovery, and purpose. Now teaching English conversation at a foreign language high school in South Korea, Kyle reflects on how her early experiences in U.S. classrooms and her transition abroad have shaped her approach to education as well as what she’s learned about h...
Dr. Susanne H. Thompson has a background spanning higher education leadership, building administration, superintendency, and more that has taken her from leading classrooms in Pennsylvania to serving as Moreland University’s president in Washington, D.C.
As she focuses on preparing teachers to thrive in a changing world, Dr. Thompson reflects on her career journey, the evolution of the education landscape, and the rol...
Hakeem Young is a math teacher and a head football coach at Spanaway Middle School in Washington state. He’s also an assistant football coach at Spanaway Lake High School. On top of it all, he’s achieved a 100% graduation rate as the head coach of the high school’s girls’ wrestling team.
In this special topical episode, Young discusses how he gets buy-in from parents and helps student-athletes — particularly female wr...
From teaching on a military base at Fort Leavenworth to her current role as a fourth-grade teacher in rural Gardner, Kansas, Amanda Heilman has experienced a wide range of school communities. Over 13 years as an educator, she's found her sweet spot in helping students grow academically and personally while maintaining strong relationships with families.
In this episode, Heilman reflects on her teaching journey, h...
If learning communities are not truly inclusive, then they are not really meeting the needs of everyone — that’s the core belief that drives International Schools Services (ISS) Director of Learning, Research, & Outreach Dana Specker Watts, Ph.D. It’s why she’s made sure that the “Netflix for schools” education model that she’s been developing as a passion project is available and accessible to everyone at the sch...
With more than 20 years of experience across rural, urban, and international schools, Gregg Pait has seen almost every challenge education can offer. From teaching K-12 social studies to launching project management courses on the campus of North Carolina A&T State University, Pait has built his career on variety, adaptability, and a passion for lifelong learning.
In this episode, Pait shares what it’s like to pre...
After more than two decades in project management and administration, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted Ayoko Vias’ career and left her unemployed. Then, she found herself stepping into a kindergarten classroom in Togo, West Africa, and discovered her true calling.
In this episode, Ayoko reflects on her journey from office manager and event planner to international school educator. She shares how her personal leap of fa...
For most teachers, confidence in the classroom doesn’t come overnight. It’s something that has to be built through experience, reflection, and support. Angie Haller, an educator based in Arizona, knows this firsthand.
In this special topical episode, Haller shares her perspective on what confidence looks like for teachers and how they can intentionally develop it over time. She talks about the challenges she faced as ...
When he used “99 Problems” in a lesson about search and seizure last school year, some of Dominic Helmstetter’s ninth grade government students didn’t know who Jay-Z was until somebody mentioned that he was Beyonce’s husband — but he got plenty of emails filled with laughing emojis from appreciative parents.
That’s just one example of how Helmstetter, a social studies teacher in Ohio, creates deeper relationships with...
"When it’s in you, it’s in you, and you can’t run from it."
That’s what Jazzmyne Townsend’s mom told her as she avoided a career in education to study business administration and marketing. But when Jazzmyne graduated from college during a recession and found work as a paraprofessional, it set her on a 16-year path toward being named the 2025 D.C. Teacher of the Year and a National Teacher of the Year Finali...
Emily Chaskelson studied journalism as an undergraduate, honing her observation skills. So, when she noticed the difficulties created by the language barrier between Spanish speakers and English speakers in Chicago, she became motivated to bridging the gap.
Fast forward and Emily has been teaching multilingual learners in public schools for 18 years, most recently in North Carolina. In this episode of the Front of the...
Kathy Schmidt’s path to the classroom started in some unlikely places, from working in zoos and aquariums to traveling the world as a cruise ship staffer, to becoming a certified dive instructor. But through all the twists and turns, she’s stayed focused on one thing: engaging learners of all subjects with energy, empathy, and creativity.
Now a middle school teacher in Casablanca, Morocco, Kathy supports multilingual,...
What does it take to teach across borders, and thrive while doing it?
In this special topical episode, Rainier Lee shares insights from his inspiring journey from the U.S. to South Korea and the Netherlands, showing that teaching internationally isn’t just possible — it’s transformative.
Rainier dives into what it means to be a culturally responsive educator, how choosing a country outside of your comfort zone can be ...
Julie Rudlosky — an educator in Ohio — didn’t set out to become a classroom comedian, but after 15 years of teaching English, she’s learned that laughter is one of her most powerful tools.
From re-enacting Shakespearean swordfights to creating escape rooms, Rudlosky’s classroom is an environment where students can be themselves, explore creative projects, and truly engage with literature. Even when new curricula bring...
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